Riley shared that she first heard the news today. “It’s been a couple of years, and it’s been a really good run,” she said about her time on the program. “Glee’s been an amazing blessing in my life, and to so many other people…I’m sure everybody can attest to a story, or a character they love, or something that really touched their heart, so I was really blessed to be a part of that for so many years.”

Riley was an original cast member on the program, and filmed guest spots both last year and this season. Last week, she memorably returned for Cory Monteith’s tribute episode and sang “I’ll Stand By You.”

“It was really for the fans,” Riley said about that emotional hour. “That’s what the episode was really for, for the fans to be able to say goodbye. I consider all of us one big family and they got to say goodbye and it was a beautiful episode. So it’s something we’re always gonna have, and I’ll be able to go back and watch that.”